Process for separating vegetable or animal fiber.



VINOENZINA DBL PRATO, NATA VISOANOI, GIOVANNI DTL PRATO,

VINCENZO DBL PRATO, CESARE DEL PRATOz MARIA DBL PRATO.

- PROCESS FOB. SEBARATING VEGBTABLE OR ANIMAL FIBER.

APPLIOATION FILED NAB. 1, 1911.

L INNEN-runs VmcENzINA DEL PRATO, NM'VISCARDI WITNESSES GIOVANNI DEI. PRAToNmcENzo nel. PRATO mwl ,Z/mlw CESARE OEL PRATOI A RIA DEL PRA-ra QL .2y/4 BY ATTORNEY COLUMBIA RLANOURAFH CO., WASHINTON, D. C.

Patented May 13, 1913.

UNITEDr STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VINCENzINA DDL PRATO, NADA VIsCARDI, GIOVANNI DDL PRATO, VINCENZO DDL PRATO, CESARE DDL PRATO, AND MARIA DDL PRATO, OE NAPLEs, ITALY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 1,1911.

Patented May 13, 1913.

serial ND. 611,622.

' ToV all 'whom t may concern: Y n

y drawing.

The object of the present invention is a combined chemical and mechanical process applicable for removing the gum from and separating textile fibers, and also for-bleaching same. f

The processes at present in use for treating textile fibers may be divided into two categories. The first category, applicable to vegetable fibers, comprises those processes in whichvthe stems of the fiber plants are macerated in stagnant'waters until the agglutinant substances which make thev fibers adhere to each other and to the wood, are put-relied and may be removed and the fibers be separated by the aid of a mechanical treatment, that is by swinglingthe fibrous parts. The second category comprises processes which are based on the treatment of textile fibers by means of concentrated alkaline solutions under pressure vor which are made to act upon these fibers for a. considerable time (from four to six hours) so as to chemically attack the agglutinant substances which make the fibers adhere to each other and to the wood,- until they are'rendered soluble and until the fibers maybe deterged and separated. These purely chemical processes however are not frequently used because the alkaline solutions, on account of their being concentrated andunder pressure and as they have to act for a considerable time, affect not only the agglutinant substances but also the wood and the fibrous part itself so that the fibers lose their resistance and elasticity. While these last-named processes thus show great disadvantages in regard to the products obtained, kthe inconveniences of the first-named processes consist especially in their slowness and in that they impair the salubrity of the places in which the maceration is effected. These inconveniences are completely avoided by the present invention by which also plants may be treated, and thus utilized, whose fibers it has been impossible to separate by the means at present in use.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a tankfor the process; Fig. 2 is a similar View of a cage for immersing the fibrous stems; Figs. 3 kand 4 are end and side elevations respectively of rollers compressing the stems to drive out the mucilaginous agglutinant substances; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of groo-ved cylinders for softening the fibers, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation vof rollers compressing the fibers during an intermediate stage `of the process.'

The present process is based on the following operationsL-Into a receptacle such as A in Fig. l provided with aybent steaml pipe t or some other vsuitable heating arrangement for keeping the liquid contained in it in boiling condition, a solution of bicarbonate of soda in the proportion of`10 to 1000 is poured andv therein brought to boiling point. The stems of the refibrous plants to be treated, preferably placed in an iron cage as B, Fig. 2, are keptimmersed in this solution for about 20 minutes. This alkaline damage to the fibers), by simply modifying their physical state, thaty is, by reducing them from a solid to a mucilaginous or gelatinous state. Bicarbonato of soda and not some other alkaline salt is used because a solution of the first-named develops, on boiling, carbonic 'acid which, by a mechanical action, initiates the separation of the fibers.

- The plants, as soon as they are removed from' the bath, are submitted to the action of rollers with smooth' cylinders C, such as shown in Figs. 3 and 4L. `By these rollers the plantsv are compressed and a large .quantity of the now mucilaginous agglutinant substances driven out of them. These substances are Carried away kby .a jet ofk cold Water which is throwna on to the stems on their leaving the said rollers.A By these operations a large part of the gummy substances has been removed while the remaining part is in a mucilaginous state, and the fibers may thus most easily be separated from each other and from the wood by one of the ordinary swingling procedures.

Hemp may have its fibers separated immediately after the aforesaid bath and whether it is wet 0r dry, the compression above mentioned is not necessary. If it is only desired to detach the fibers from the wood and not to split them so as to obtain them in the form of a band, a product which is very useful in the manufacture of ropes, the solution of bicarbonate of soda may be reduced from 10 to 10001 to 2 per 1000.

After the abovel described operations the fibers still contain, as has been said, a large quantity of agglutinant substances which have not been removed by the com-pression, and if the fibers were now immediately dried, they would again become rigid and woody andE lose their elasticity. In order to remove the remaining mucilaginous substances the fibers are submitted to a further chemical treatment. If however after the above described opera-tions the fibers have been allowed to dry and? if in consequence the remaining agglutinant substances have again become solid and would thus be impervious `to the reagents with which the fibers' are now to be treated, the latter are a second time submitted tok a bath containing a solution of bicarbonate of soda at 10 per 1000 in order to reduce the gummy substances again to a mucilaginous state. To this bath have to be submitted also those fibers which have been separated by other processes without their agglutinant subfstances having been removed, in case their l stances remaining in the fibers.

treatment is to be continued with the present process. After this. bath which, as has been said, is not necessary if the treatment has not been interrupted, the' fibers are again submitted to the compressingv action of smooth rollers such as GE, Fig.` 6', as above described. In this` way, a further part of the agglutinant substances is mechanically removed, because the fibers, on account of their having been separated from the wood, are now much more flexible and the mucilaginous substances may be much more easily removed than during the first compression, when the fibers were still united to thewoody part. The fibers are then washed in cold water and immersed for about 20 minutes into a cold bath containing' chlorid of lime in the proportion of 10 to 100.0. The bath reacts on the atmospheric carbonio acid and thus develops chlorin which in its nascent state reacts on the agglutinant sub- This isy made possible by these substances being stances acted on by the chlorin become soluble and the fibers may thus bel Washed in ta bath of cold water.

In ord'er to completely remove the gum it may be necessary to submit the fibers to a second bath in a solution of chlorid of lime A and subsequently wash them in cold water.

Two of these baths however are as a rule sufficient to obtain fibers of an extraordinary whiteness and very superior to those which at present it is possibleto obtain commercially. However these baths may be repeated over and over again, and i-n each successive bath a greater fineness and whiteness of the fibers is obtained. These successive baths in chlorid of lime not only remove thegum, but have at the same time another very important purpose, that is to bleach the'l fibers. After these baths in chlorid of lime and cold water the fibers are submitted to the action of a hydroextractor where under the action of centrifugal force the last traces of the agglutinant Substances which are dissolved in the water adhering tothe fibers, are removed. After the treatment in the lfrydroextractor the fibers are dried, but in drying they harden and have for' this reason to be subjected to the action of a machine with grooved' cylinders` H as in Fig. 5, or of some other mach-ine, such as those. already use, suitable for softening the fibers so that the latter regain their softness and flexibility.

lin treatingl plants whose fa-scicles of fibers are covered by an impermeable membrane itis necessary,I in order to submit them to the series ofv operations described, to first break this covering and strip the fibers by the aid of the machine shown in Figs. 3- and 4 so as toE permit the alkaline solution of the first bath to act on the plants. The alkaline bath used for initiating thetreatment ofthe vegetable fibers may also be used for the washing of' wool and' the scouring of silk, for wool however the temperature of thewater mustv be from 50 to 60 C.

VVlrat we claim is:

A combined chemical and mechanical process for treating vegetable and animal fibers consisting' in immersing same in a Weak alkaline bath of about 20 minutes duration and consisting of a boiling' solution of bicarbonate of soda in the proportion of I0; to 1000, a successive removing of the agglutinant substances by compressing the fibers in a roller machine with smooth cylinders, a successive mechanical separation of' the fibers, a secondbathof bicarbonate of soda in case the fibers have been permitte'd to dry, followed by a second corn- `press-ion in a rolller machine with smooth cylinders, and finally, several successive cold baths in a Solution of chlorid of lime in the the Kingdom Of Italy this 10th day Of Febproportion Of 10 tO 1000 in Order tO cleanse ruary 1911.

the fibers of the agglutinant substances VINCENZINA DEL PRATO, NATA VISCAEDL Which may have remained in them after the GIOVANNI DEL PRATO, 5 mechanical treatment. VINCENZO DEL PRATO.

In Witness whereof We, the Said VIN- CESARE DEL PRATO. CENZINA DEL PRATO, nata VISOARDI, GIO- MARIA' DEL PRATO. VANNI DEL PRATO, VINCENZO DEL PRATO, In the presence of tWO Witnesses: CESARE DEL PRATO, and MARIA DEL PRATO, ASS. GIUSEPPE DEL PRATO, 10 have signed this Specicaton at Naples in PASQUALE LUANGO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of intents, Washington, D. C. 

